lucy in the sky with diamonds
by lady lutka
Summary: look for the girl with the sun in her eyes and she's gone. —natsu&lucy /au/ /drugworld
1. cellophane flowers of yellow and green

i don't know, man. i'm running on vegemite and milo (for all you americans, that means i am poor as hell and rather hopeless). i guess the moral of this story is **_DO NOT DATE YOUR POTHEAD OF A BEST FRIEND. IT NEVER ENDS WELL NO MATTER WHAT, OKAY? DATE KINGS AND QUEENS._**

* * *

 ** _/_**

 ** _somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly  
_** _ **a girl with kaleidoscope eyes**_

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

She isn't too sure where she is. If it's any consolation, she _was_ half-fucked by the time she jumped into Gajeel's shitty pickup truck—and, if her memory serves her correctly, the magical white powder Levy pulled out of virtually nowhere was definitely _not_ sherbet.

Lucy walks away from the nauseating dance floor— _god,_ were revolving floors actually _a thing_ now, or was that just her head? It probably was her head, she decides, since the entire room is underwater. Lucy holds out a hand and giggles when fish swim by and nibble at her fingers. They gnaw at the flesh with their tiny teeth and their beady little eyes are lasers slicing at her skin. Lucy frowns at this and yanks her hand away, growling at the little fish-elves until they swim away from her.

The blood that drips from her fingers is glittery and golden, and Lucy is giggling all over again. "It's like the stars," she wonders aloud, eyes taking in the dripping gold and following it as the glitter bleeds into the blue water.

The music pulls her back to the swaying dancefloor, and Lucy laughs at the lyrics— _let me tell you a story 'bout a mouse named Lorry, yeah Lorry was a mouse in a big brown house_ —and the people around her are suddenly less than human, and they all have button eyes and yawning, gaping mouths. Lucy tugs the nearest monster-human towards her and examines them, tugging at their fleshy cheeks and poking their wide _wide_ mouth.

"Fascinating," she murmurs in a faux English accent, and she is giggling all the more.

"Wahthahell?" the person says through Lucy's cheek-pulling and she scowls, slapping at their carrot nose.

"Monsters aren't supposed to speak human talk!"

"What drugs are you on!?" the nameless—and identifiable, Lucy adds with a pout—monster exclaims when Lucy finally stops yanking at their cheeks.

"All of them!" she giggles and disappears in to the crowd like a wood nymph.

The people are breathing, sweaty, sex-crazed douchebags she realises when their monster exteriors melt away like wax. She recognises a few, and kisses the ones she doesn't (because kissing strangers at parties is the norm, right? Or was that just the drugs? Whatever, she'll ponder that later). Little cups filled with a concoction of pills are passed around by little glittery fairies. Lucy touches one and smiles when it grins a fanged grin at her. The little fairy flies around her face in spinning circles, and Lucy is choking on fairy dust.

She takes a dixie cup and fills it with strawberry punch, downing it in one go. The fairy is still there, and it braids her hair with vines and flowers. Lucy watches it carefully, fingers stroking the small wings and smoothing the fairy's slightly skewed dress.

"What's your name?" she asks.

"I don't have a name," the fairy responds, and Lucy frowns.

"All fairies have names! From now on you'll be Plue, okay?"

The fairy nods and starts singing a fairy-song, little voice screeching the words: " _Do fairies have tails? Oh, do I wonder; do fairies have tails? This is all just one big fairy tale, do fairies have tails?_ "

"Do they?" Lucy ponders, and Plue the fairy grins.

"That's up to you."

In a cloud of silver dust, the fairy is gone. Lucy watches it flutter towards the ceiling, where it twirls aroundandaroundandaround the coloured spotlights. Plue the fairy blows her a fanged kiss, and Lucy catches it on her purple-painted lips.

"Thank you!" she yells, and the fairy nods its little head.

Lucy registers that she needs the bathroom, so on trembling legs she hikes the stairs and pushes past the line. The human-people yell and scream at her, but Lucy merely giggles and opens the closed door. With a big breath, she slams it closed again and sighs.

"It's you!" a voice yells, and Lucy spins around on unbalanced legs.

"Pink?" she says in reply, for the person standing at the toilet has pink hair and a fanged grin.

"You're that crazy chick that called me a monster!" they yell, and Lucy giggles because their voice sounds funny to her ears.

"Monster?" she repeats, and hides a laugh behind her hand when the boy explodes.

"Stop talking in questions!"

"Mama always told me that the monsters under my bed were kind. You're kind, aren't you?" Lucy asks, because her sweet mother always told her that the monsters that hid were actually angels scared of frightening her with their otherworldly beauty. She notes that this monster surely does not _look_ kind, but small dragon-pixies fly spinning circles around his head and she is reassured.

" _Dragon boy!_ " they hiss and screech, and Lucy opens her palm and cups a dragon-pixie in her hand.

"He's a dragon boy?" she asks the creature, and it blows a plume of fire through its nose.

" _He who controls fire like the great dragons! Dragon boy! Dragon man! Dragon boy!_ "

"Who're you talking to?" the dragon-boy-monster asks Lucy, and she falls into his arms. He manages to clumsily catch her and fold her stray limbs into his arms.

"Look closely," Lucy whispers, and pulls his face beside hers. She points at the dragon-pixies flying about the room on fiery wings. "Do you see them?" she asks her dragon boy.

The dragon boy squints his dark _dark_ eyes, and suddenly his pink hair is a mixture of beautiful reds and oranges, like a summer sunset. "What am I lookin' for?" he asks, and Lucy blows an exasperated breath through her nose.

"The dragon-pixies! There! In front of you!" she points at the fire-breathing pixie perched on her dragon boy's nose, and he sneezes.

The pixies scatter about and Lucy giggles when they topple over each other. One lands in the sink, another in the toilet and she is watching them fondly. "You silly things," she chastises, and looks up to find her dragon boy watching her intently. She wraps her arms around his neck, snuggling into his strong arms and warm body. "Did you see them?" she asks him.

Their noses brush when he laughs, dark eyes twinkling in the poorly lit bathroom. "Sure did," he says, and Lucy smiles brightly—she knows he is humouring her but she is happy nonetheless.

"That's good," she says through a giggle, because the dragon-pixies are crawling up her arms and her face.

"They sure do like you," her dragon boy chuckles and Lucy watches in wide-eyed wonder when the pixies play with his hair and paint the sunset on his pink locks.

"They like you, too!"

Dragon boy grins widely, and his fangs gleam in the light. "Do they?"

Lucy nods rather enthusiastically and her dragon boy holds her tighter. "Aren't they pretty?" she asks in a sigh, petting the scaly wings of the little dragon-pixies.

"Very," dragon boy responds, but he isn't looking at the pixies or the stars outside the window—he watches Lucy with a fond grin and twinkling eyes, and she is reminded of warm summer nights and her mother's embrace.

"What's your name?" she asks, hand reaching up to play with his sunset hair. His hair is soft and tickles her buzzing fingers, and Lucy smiles before burying her face in his neck.

"Natsu," he answers her and the moment is almost too perfect.

"As in summer?"

"I've never thought of it like that," he hums and the sound vibrates in her chest.

"Mine's Lucy," she says in the silence, and he laughs.

"Luigi? That's a perfect name for a weirdo!"

"It's _Lucy_! L-U-C-Y!" she yells into his neck.

"Okay, _Lucy_ ," Natsu chuckles and shifts her further into his arms.

She watches Natsu the Dragon Boy with keen interest; the dragon-pixies have left already and she is saddened by that. "They went away," she pouts.

"Not for long," her dragon boy reassures her, and as if summoned by his call they fly under the gap of the door to dance around Lucy's blonde hair. They paint glitter and sunsets into her hair too, and when she compares the blonde to Natsu's pink she can find no difference.

"They really do like you," she whispers, and Natsu grins.

"They like you, too."

She is kissing him suddenly, hands tangled in his sunset-pink hair and his lips are warm and taste of summer and fire. He is everything and anything, her dragon boy, and Lucy grins against his kisses. He nibbles at her lips, runs his warm hands down the sides of her neck and arms. The dragon-pixies cheer and shower them with plumes of fire-kisses, and everything is too warm and bright but Lucy can't move. Natsu tells her all things nice and kind in his kisses, and Lucy feels ashamed for ever calling him a monster.

Maybe her mother was right after all; maybe the monsters really _were_ angels ashamed of their own beauty.

"You probably won't remember this," her dragon boy sighs against her lips, and Lucy pouts.

"Of course I will!"

"Really?" Natsu chuckles, and Lucy pulls his face down so their eyes are level.

"How could I ever forget my dragon boy?"

Natsu grins that fanged grin again, and Lucy giggles at the absurdity of it all. "You're such a weirdo, Luce."

"Luce," she tests the name on her tongue and laughs loudly. "I like that name! _Luce_."

Natsu rolls his eyes and kisses her again, and Lucy smiles and laughs. His lips are a mystery and the night is still young, the stars blinking upon playfully. The room is swaying, bur her dragon boy holds her steady in his arms. Lucy breathes in his homely scent, and her mind shuts down.

Maybe her mother was right after all.

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _look for the girl with the kaleidoscope eyes  
and she's gone  
_**


	2. it was only a kiss

i'm honestly so damn in love with this. i can't stop now I CAN'T!

also: i don't know if many of you knew this but Mashima actually named our beloved Lucy after **_Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds_** by The Beatles? tbh, i can see it—hence this lil doosey

**lyrics are from **_Mr. Brightside_** by The Killers**

* * *

 _ **/**_

 _ **it started out with a kiss  
how did it end up like this?  
**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

"Wake up, sunshine!"

Lucy groans and shields her eyes with one arm, slapping at the annoying face of one Gajeel Redfox with the other. "Go away," she growls, and coughs uncontrollably.

"That's what ya get for smoking god knows what!" Gajeel cackles and pounds her on the back repeatedly, and Lucy yells in protest.

"Gajeel, stop! That hurts! Ow!"

"Lu, are you awake?" Levy asks from the driver's seat, and Lucy sighs in relief.

"You're here, Levy! I thought I lost you on the dance floor."

Levy grins sheepishly, twisting around with a light blush on her cheeks. "Gajeel and I kind of left early…"

"Oh. _Oh_. I see. _Wow_ , guys, some friends you are," Lucy whines but she is smiling a shit-eating grin.

"You're one to talk," Gajeel grouses, and Lucy raises a brow.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play Miss Innocent with me, bunny girl. You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about," Gajeel says in reply, and Lucy slaps the smug smirk off his stupid face.

"I don't actually."

Levy shifts the truck into fourth gear, chuckling all the while. "Check your phone, Lu."

Grudgingly, Lucy pats her body down, searching for her pink bedazzled iPhone. After a heart-stopping moment, she finally finds the device wedged between her cleavage along with crumbs and dried beer. Lucy dry heaves and thanks the gods that Levy is en route to Macwak's Wash and Stop.

"So, what exactly am I looking at?" she asks, and Gajeel cackles obnoxiously.

"Check your gallery."

Lucy does just that—and almost has a heart attack. "Eight hundred and seventy-three photos?!"

"You're quite the photographer, Lu," Levy comments dryly, but Lucy is too focused on what the photos _contain_.

"Why am I without a dress?"

Gajeel chokes. "What?!"

"Obviously those happened _after_ we left."

"Levy!" Lucy screeches suddenly and the two other occupants of the car flinch. "Levy, why did you leave?! You could have stopped this!"

"Well _fuck_ , Shrimp. I thought you said bunny girl _wouldn't_ be a cockblocker."

"Hush, Gajeel," Levy rolls her eyes and meets Lucy's gaze in the rear view mirror, "What is it, Lu?"

"I think I shot a sex tape."

Gajeel chokes again. "What?! Let's see!"

"Ew, no! Gajeel, get your gross hands OFF OF ME!"

"I don't think it's a sex tape of _you_ ," Levy comments and pulls into the empty petrol station, laughing at the impromptu wrestling match happening in the back seat of Gajeel's cheap pickup truck.

"What else could it possibly be, Levy?!"

Levy parks the truck and pulls up the handbrake, reaching for the phone once the engine is off. "Unless you suddenly dyed your hair purple and hooked up with a buxom brunette, then I don't think it's you."

"That means I _shot_ the tape! That's even worse!"

"Not really," Levy says, and mutes the sound of the video. She scrolls through, cheeks blazing, until she finally finds what she's looking for: the person behind the camera. "There!" she yells, and pauses the video as the camera is flipped around in-video to reveal a drunken pink-haired boy with a shit-eating grin.

"Who the fuck's that?" Gajeel wonders aloud, and Lucy freezes.

" _No_ ," she whispers and snatches her phone back, flying through the gallery until she lands upon the photos she knew would be in there—her and the pink-haired boy making out in a grimy bathroom. Ew.

"Oho!" Gajeel barks and Lucy jumps out the car with a shriek.

"NO! NO, NO, NO, NO, _NO!_ "

"Didn't know you were into punks, Lu," Levy grins and exits the car also, grabbing the towels from the passenger seat.

"I'M NOT!"

" _Suuuure_ ," Gajeel cackles and follows his _superhot_ girlfriend to the jet washer. He pops a few coins in the machine and grabs the large jet washer, gesturing at the girls.

"I'll go first!" Levy yells and promptly strips down to her undergarments. Gajeel raises a brow but aims the jet at her, careful to not hold it too close to her pale skin.

"I can't believe this!" Lucy whines from the ground, and Gajeel aims the jet washer at her. She receives the water at point blank and screams a bloodcurling shriek, jumping away from the bruising force. Her sparkly blue dress clings to her curves and contours, and the sparkles make her wet skin itch.

"GAJEEL!"

The pierced man is too busy laughing at the look on Lucy's face and Levy, too, is giggling along.

"You guys are the worst!" Lucy peels the dress away from her skin, shivering in her bra and underwear as a cold wind blows through the rundown petrol station. Levy raises a brow at her choice in Hello Kitty lingerie, and in a sullen voice Lucy says, "I was high at the time _okay_. I thought it was cute."

" _Oho_ , bunny girl's got a pussy on her pussy!"

"Shut THE FUCK UP, GAJEEL!"

"Guys, stop fighting already! We've only got three hours to get back to Magnolia!" Levy chastises the two like they are children, and makes a big point of rinsing the conditioner from her wild blue hair. The hickies and bite marks riddling her neck and shoulders, however, stand out brightly in the sunlight and smash her 'tiger mom' exterior.

Gajeel grins at the sight and pulls her in for a deep and long kiss, one that sweeps Levy off her feet and has Lucy sticking her finger down her throat.

"Ew, guys, that's gross. Can't you wait until we get back home?"

"Whatever you say, _cockblocker_ ," Gajeel sneers at Lucy and aims the jet washer at her again, though this time he careful about it.

Lucy lathers her hair with the cheap jasmine scented shampoo, scrubbing and raking at her mysteriously glittery hair. Once done with the shampoo, she lathers her long hair in conditioner and washes the rest of her body with the only body wash they packed—Gajeel's ohsoexpensive _Axe_.

"Honestly Gajeel, this crap is bad for your skin. _Why_ do you continue to buy this shit?" she asks exasperatedly, cringing at the way the chemical processed wash makes her skin feel.

"Well fuck, I'm sorry Your Highness—it must have slipped my mind to pack that _Lush_ bullshit you waste all your money on," he grouses, tearing the bottle of sandalwood scented Axe from Lucy's soapy hands.

Levy, who had already slipped into a simple orange mini dress, rolls her eyes at the pair and throws Lucy a towel. "Come _on_ , already!"

It is quite comical watching Gajeel shower, Lucy thinks with a mischievous grin as he dances out of the way of the jet washer.

"Shrimp! Not so fucking close, god! That shit fucking _bruises!_ "

"Stop being a big baby and hurry up, then!"

"OKAY just fucking hold the damn thing properly!"

"Like this?"

"FUCK YOU!"

Lucy snickers and throws the bottle of Axe towards him. "My god, Gajeel, stop being a pussy."

Gajeel glares at her fiercely, drenched black hair falling around his face in dripping tangles. " _Shut the fuck up right now_."

Levy laughs aloud, aiming at the jet washer at his bare chest once again. "Hurry it up!"

"THIS IS SEXUAL HARRASSMENT!"

"Calm the hell down, pincushion," Lucy laughs and steps into her pink maxi dress, smoothing out the wrinkles and doing the zipper as quickly as possible. "I'm gonna go grab a drink—anyone want anything?"

"Peach iced tea for me!" Levy calls, and Lucy rummages through Gajeel's discarded pants for his wallet.

"Put my fucking wallet down and get me something strong," Gajeel yells toward her, furiously scrubbing at his tanned and scarred skin with a wash cloth. Lucy immediately knows that one semi-naked Gajeel and a half-clothed Levy spell trouble, and decides to be as quick as possible before the _real_ sex tape begins.

The bells above the door jingle dully, and she clumsily steps out of the way of a packing crate. The lighting within the small petrol station is dim at best and flickers every couple seconds. Lucy shivers—damn if this place isn't straight out of a horror movie.

"Welcome to Macwak's," a rather bored male voice calls from the freezer section. Lucy startles and laughs nervously.

"Ah, would you happen to sell any, um, alcohol?" she coughs at the awkwardness of it all, grip tightening on Gajeel's leather wallet.

The dark-haired man blinks at her once, twice and rakes his eyes over her body. Lucy squirms under his icy-blue stare—and it is then that she realises he is _very_ naked.

"Y-You're clothes!"

"Huh?" he blinks again and looks down at his bare chest, and merely shrugs at the sight. "What about 'em?"

Lucy chokes on her own spit. "You don't have any!"

The man's eyes widen and his pale cheeks turn a stunning shade of red. "Ah, this got awkward real quick."

"You're telling me?!"

"Could I borrow your underwear?" he asks, and Lucy stiffens.

"My _what?!_ "

The nameless man waves a hand, cheeks still painted red. "Y'know, your panties. That's if you wear any," he concludes, and walks around her body with a scrutinising stare, "I don't see any pantie lines, so I take that as a no."

" _Excuse me?!_ "

"The booze is 'round this way—I'll show you."

And so she is forced to follow the strange naked man into the back storage room— _look at me now, mom._

 ** _. . . . . ._**

"Do you even get paid to work here?" Lucy sniffs, nose scrunching at the smell of stale beer and old cheese.

The naked man—who she later learned was actually called Gray—shrugs his shoulders. "Sorta?"

"Sorta?" she echoes, and he nods his head stiffly. Lucy rolls her eyes—but not for too long, because _damn_ this boy was fucking _fine_ and she was not about to miss out on precious moments spent staring at his naked godly self.

"So, what made you come into a dump like this?" he asks suddenly.

Lucy is shaken out of her stupor and rambles out a string of words, "Needed a shower and food."

Gray turns around to stare at her— _FULL FRONTAL_ okay Lucy DON'T FUCKING PASS OUT NOW. "A shower?"

She clears her dry throat and nods. "Yeah. A shower. The uh, jet washer does the job."

Gray watches her for a second more and grins. "Well, I'll be damned. That's pretty fucking smart."

"Thanks…?"

"Anyway," Gray says, and she is grateful that they have _finally_ found the alcohol. "Take your pick."

Lucy scans the assorted drinks, and finally settles her sights on a cheap one litre whiskey. She grabs the bottle by its neck and follows Gray back to the main store—only to find that the lights have gone off. Didn't she read a book before where this exact same thing happened minutes before the protagonist was brutally murdered with a string of sausages? She is seconds away from ripping off her gladiator sandal and using it as a projectile, when Gray suddenly pounds his fist against the wall.

"Fuck, not again," he curses, and pulls a pair of boxers from the fridge. "LAXUS! Ain't it your damn job to keep the fucking lights on?"

He slips the boxers on, and Lucy can only blink and observe. Gray, having noticed this, scowls. "What? It's damn hot 'round here, okay? I grew up in the North, not the fucking Sahara. Climate control, get it?" he waves a hand around his front, and Lucy blushes at the implications.

"Ah, y-yes."

He nods at her once, and opens his mouth to call out once more, " _Laxus!_ Get your fucking sparkler ass down here!"

Heavy footsteps barrel from directly above them, and a man that Lucy can only describe as _damn fucking sexyscary_ appears before them. "Shut the fuck up, stripper. You don't see me yelling like a two year old when the freezers shut down, do you?"

"Ah, yes, I do. Like, every day," Gray snorts and crosses his arms across his bare chest.

"That's 'cause _you_ don't do _your_ job!" Laxus jabs a finger into Gray's chest, and Lucy freezes when the blonde man's furious glare falls on her.

"Ah, I just came to get some food. And drinks. Yeah," she stammers, knees knocking under her maxi dress.

"You served a customer _naked?_ You see, Gray, _that_ is why we hardly have business anymore!" Laxus roars at the half-naked man.

"We _never_ have fucking business, okay? And if anything, it's _your_ damn glare that scares them off in the first place!"

"Okay, well, I'm just gonna go pay... yeah, um, it was nice meeting you?" Lucy slowly inches away from the glaring blonde with the lightning scar and the half-naked supposed stripper.

Somehow she manages to find Levy's peach iced tea as well as some snacks for the road. With her arms full with beef jerky and sweets, she navigates her way to the front counter. She spills the goods onto the worn wood, grinning a wide smile at the attendant—because _god_ is she glad that she's finally leaving this dump and the sexy men behind.

"Your total is $17.40," the strangely familiar voice says in a bored manner, and Lucy looks up briefly to pass over the notes—only for her eyes to widen because _ohmygod_ she would recognise that pink hair anywhere.

The man's dark eyes widen, and then his face breaks into a grin. "Hey, it's Luigi! I didn't think I would see you again!"

And suddenly, all her _best moments_ from that previous night come rushing back—and Lucy wants to crawl in a hole and never come out for all eternity.

" _Dragon boy?!_ "

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _it was only a kiss  
(only a kiss)_**


	3. can't feel my face

Sup. So, this is gonna be one of those 'as they come' fics. I have waaaay too many others to focus on but writing LSD is a major stress relief, seeing as there is no plan for this. Hence the 'as they come' vibe.

**Lyrics are from **_Can't Feel My Face_** by The Weekend.

* * *

 _ **/**_

 _ **we both know we can't go without it  
she told me you'll never be alone**_

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

"Hey, about last night," she stammers uncertainly, brown eyes glancing about the petrol station nervously—because _damn_ is this awkward.

Natsu waves a hand, sliding her change across the counter. She fumbles with the coins, hands clammy and shaky. "Don't worry 'bout it! You probably don't remember much anyway, yeah?" he asks, and she isn't too sure if he is asking for her sake or his.

Lucy laughs nervously, flicking her eyes away from his dark eyes because _god_ , she remembers it all in crystal clear clarity. "Yeah, um, about that…"

Natsu raises a single brow, gaze searching. "You don't, right?"

"And if I said I did?"

His wide, _feral_ grin is all the answer she needs.

Before he can open his mouth to say something that could possibly make her ovaries tremble, the door screeches open and Gajeel walks in scowling with Levy perched on his arm. Somehow, the girl had managed to wrangle his unruly hair into a wet knot at the back of his head and forced some clean clothes on him.

"Lu, you took too long so Gajeel and I came in to make sure nothing happened to you!" Levy calls from the door, rushing to the counter with a glaring Gajeel on her heels.

"Do you have any idea what we were in the middle of? Any _fuckin' idea at all?_ " the grumpy lump of metal hisses as soon as he is standing in front of Lucy.

Lucy rolls her eyes and waves Gajeel's bottle of whiskey in his face, relieved beyond belief that she is no longer alone with Natsu—which may have resulted in something far worse than the content on her phone suggested they did. "Yes, yes, I am the world's greatest cockblock. No, I am not sorry for getting in the way of your 'Netflix and chill' but I will apologise for using all your money. Sorry."

"Whatever, as long as you got the good stuff."

He raises his head to get the road snacks from the counter, only to make eye contact with Natsu. All was silent as the two men size each other up, but then Gajeel's eyes widen and he curses colourfully.

"What the absolute _fuck_ are you doing here, Assflame?!"

Natsu grins another one of those feral smirks—Lucy's ovaries explode simultaneously. "I knew it was you, Metalface!"

Wait.

Gajeel knew the guy she happened to have had hot backseat sex with the night before?

Well, shit.

 _ **. . . . . .**_

"Wait, wait, wait. So, you're telling me that you and Assflame over here hooked up at a party last night?"

Lucy casts her gaze to the crummy floor, hands fisting the pink material of her maxi dress nervously. "It's not like I had any control of my actions," she scowls.

The ultimate dickhead known as Gajeel Redfox begins laughing arrogant snickers that grate on her already high-strung nerves.

"Oh my _god_ , Gajeel! Can you like, not laugh and act your age for once!?"

Levy rolls her eyes at the two and sends an apologetic glance Gray's way. "Sorry about those two, they're always like this…"

Gray scratches at his bare chest absentmindedly and rolls his eyes. "Nah, they're mild compared to all of us here on good days."

"So, according to Gajeel he's met you all before?" the bluenette inquires, casting a blind eye to the wrestling match between her boyfriend and best friend in aisle ten.

"Yeah!" Gray grins lightly, "Pincushion used to work here before he got that metal trade job in the city. What is it that he does again?"

"He's a qualified blacksmith," she says with a proud smile.

Gray snickers. "Always knew the bastard would end up in metal work. He used to spend every moment of his damn time in the boiler room tinkering around."

"And I see you're still a damn stripper! Put some fuckin' clothes on, man! That's my girlfriend you're flashing!" Gajeel shouts, pushing Lucy away and covering Levy's eyes with his oil-stained hands

"Again?! What the fuck is this shit?!" Gray's naked ass jiggles as he runs in to the back employee room where Lucy could only assume he was procuring another pair of boxers from the freezer.

The sight wasn't all that bad, she had to admit. The lean muscles flexing as his powerful thighs push his body forwards, the clenched fists that had all the muscles of his arms tensed and ready to grab her around the waist and push her up against the wall to— _oh look_ , there was Natsu and his stupid smile and annoying face.

"Yo, Luigi!"

Lucy leans away from his body which is much too fucking close to hers, thank you very much. "Back your ass up, dragon boy."

Annnd the horny, ruthless, sex-crazed bag of hormones that was dragon boy—AKA, the Natsu that filmed a lesbian porn video on _her_ phone—makes a sudden appearance. Natsu's already dark eyes blacken further, the obsidian pools practically pulsing with lust and primal instinct. The breath in her burnt and sour-tasting lungs hitches as Natsu grabs her wrist and tugs her behind the shelf of car care products, successfully hiding them from the prying eyes of their mutual friends.

"You weren't complaining about my closeness last night. If I remember right, you practically begged me to get closer. Like this…" his hands grab her hips, thumbs digging into the flesh as he pulled their bodies flush against the other.

"And you weren't this freaky last night, you sicko. What's the big deal? Huh?" she hisses, heaving chest pressing against his due to the minimal space between their bodies. Her soft curves smash against his hard lines and angles like a party anthem remix gone right—which is fucking rare and should be played on repeat for months on end.

Natsu seems to be thinking along the same wavelength.

His hands squeeze her hips, committing the supple curves to memory. The touch of his skin on hers burns her flesh, causes electricity and butterflies to erupt everywhere. If she squints into his eyes and counts his ragged breaths she can picture them back in that crummy bathroom making out. She can feel the air mattress pressing into her back, can see the condensation collecting on the windows of his shabby four wheeler. His guttural moans and grunts in her ear, among other things her drug-induced brain held on to that night, are all suddenly very real and less like a hallucination.

"Holy fuck, this feels so much different than last night."

Lucy hums her agreement, attacking his neck with her lips. "I think it's because we're not tripping balls this time 'round."

Natsu hisses a curse as she suckles on a particular spot below his ear, halfway from the junction of his shoulder. " _Hell yes_ , but high sex is just as fun."

"How about we compare it?"

Dragon boy stills, hands on her hips freezing in place. Lucy leans away from his hold slightly to watch the assorted reactions on his face, which are more familiar than they had been the night previous. His slanted eyes, parted lips, quivering Adam's apple—it is like a second skin to her now, which is absolutely fucking terrifying. Strangers aren't meant to be _this_ damn connected, right?

That train of thought is quickly sent space-shuttling to the moon due to the fact Natsu began to _grind his fucking hips against hers_ like some damned practised entertainer. Good-fucking- _god_. Sober sex was definitely winning the competition, that was for fucking sure.

"Best thing you've said all day, _Luce_."

Hot.

 _Damn_.

 ** _. . . . . ._**

So, before anything _completely_ against the Occupational Health and Safety Act could commence, Laxus interrupted the two with a disapproved shake of his head and Lucy's forgotten receipt.

"Put it away, Natsu. No one wants to see that."

Natsu scowls and zips his pants back up. "Dude, I swear you have some freaky radar wired into your brain to stop me from ever being laid."

Laxus nods his head. "I do and it's called ' _work ethic_ '. Not like you've ever heard of that but what can you do, you know?"

Lucy can feel her cheeks blushing a brilliant red, ashamed that the sexyscary manager caught her in a compromising position with the service desk attendee. The apologies are bitten back as he thrusts the paper docket in her face, the corner grazing her cheek and dangerously close from stabbing her in the eye. "O-oh, wow, okay. Thanks, um, Laxus…? That is your name, right?"

But the brooding man is already walking away from the two, fingers clicking in Natsu's general direction. "Do some damn work, you loafer."

"My shift ended two minutes ago! I'm not doing jack shit 'til next weekend!" Natsu yells back with a smirk.

Once Laxus has disappeared, Natsu turns to look at Lucy with those dark _dark_ eyes. She swallows back the insult she was about to throw at him for not releasing her body throughout the encounter— _hey, I'm not some sex doll. Get your barbaric hands off of me_.

"You going back to the city yet or are you hanging around?"

Lucy blinks owlishly at his face, squirming in his grip. "What?"

Natsu rolls his eyes with a lazy grin. "Magnolia, you idiot! Are you going back, or not?"

"Why would I go back there?"

"Because you live there!"

"And how do you know where I live, huh?! Are you some creepy stalker?" she seethes, tearing away from the warmth of his chest to cross her arms under her own, glaring ferociously.

Natsu hold his hands up and shakes his head. "You told me last night, you weirdo!"

"Oh."

"So, are you going back?" he presses.

"'Spose I am, why?"

"Can I have a lift, please? My car broke down last night so I had to leave it at the mechanic's. C'mon Luce, don't give me that look. Please?"

Lucy walks away with her arms raised above her head. "I don't know! I came in Gajeel's truck; ask him for a lift."

"HEY METAL FACE, I NEED A FAVOUR!"

"Or you can scream it out for the whole world to hear, that's okay too," she mumbles under her breath, stepping over the scattered pallets knocked over from his desperate sprint. She walks into an odd scene—Natsu held in a headlock besides a knocked-out Gray, with Gajeel the reigning victor.

" _Say it_ ," Gajeel hisses into Natsu's ear, squeezing his arms tighter around Natsu's own.

"What THE FUCK, MAN? I'm your damned _cousin_ , I don't need to say shit!"

"Then I guess you can walk to Magnolia."

"WHAT?! DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW _FAR AWAY_ THAT IS?!"

"You can bet your ass I do, dickhead."

"Gajeel, are you being fucking serious right now? Stop dicking around."

" _I'm_ the one dicking around? Look in a mirror, you faggot."

"OKAY both of you shut up," Lucy yells over the chaos, "both of you get your asses in the truck! We're leaving!"

"I ain't going nowhere with that dickbag. You're fucking crazy if you think otherwise, cockblock."

"You _will,_ otherwise that thing I said I'd do to you when we get home? You can do it yourself," Levy says pleasantly, but the wicked gleam in her hazel eyes contradicts her tone. With plastic bags piled on her arms, she grabs Gajeel by the front of his shirt and drags him out the door.

"Shrimp, what the fuck _was that?!_ "

"Oh, hush!"

Left alone in the wash and stop with an unconscious naked man and crazy—but wildly sexy—dragon boy can do strange things to a girl's heart, Lucy decides. She sighs and tucks Gajeel's forgotten wallet under her arm, using the other to prod Gray.

"Is it okay to just leave him here like this?"

Natsu shrugs. "I dunno, he'll be fine. Let's go! I'm starving!"

He grabs her arm and pulls her forcefully from the petrol station to Gajeel's diesel truck. Lucy splutters the whole way, squirming against the hand wrapped around her upper arm. "Get your hands off of me, you idiot! I can walk _by myself_."

"You're too slow!"

"Why, you—!"

"I CALL SHOTGUN! GET THE FUCK OUT OF THAT SEAT, YOU BASTARD!"

"FUCK OFF, IT'S MY DAMN TRUCK."

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I GIVE A SHIT?"

Lucy's jaw drops as she witnesses Natsu grab Gajeel by the neck and throw him out the car, climbing into the vacated seat and slamming the door not a moment later. Just like a scene out of GTA, Gajeel shoots to his feet and pounds his fist against the glass window.

"YOU FUCKING INCONSIDERATE SPOILED BRAT! JUST WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, HUH?"

Natsu smooshes his face flat against the window and sticks his tongue out, licking the glass languidly—which would have been hot if his face wasn't so _deformed_ and _squished_. His breaths cause the pane to fog up and provide the absolute best canvas and, with his index finger, Natsu drawsa a crude depiction of Gajeel sucking a rather large dick, cum spurts and all.

The drawing actually wasn't that bad.

Gajeel's reaction was.

"YOU FUCKING—I CAN'T BELIEVE—OH MY FUCKING GOD—HOW ARE YOU TWENTY TWO!?"

Sensing an impending hostile situation, Lucy opens the back door of the truck and unceremoniously dumps Gajeel's ass inside and in Levy's expectant lap. Once he has stopped spluttering, Lucy closes the door and bolts to the driver's side, pulling herself into the seat. It took her awhile to adjust the seat and wheel to her preferences but once she was satisfied, they were off on the main highway.

"I can't believe this punk…" Gajeel mutters for the millionth time.

Levy rolls her eyes. "Shut up, Gajeel."

"Tch."

"Oi Levy, pass the jerky!" Natsu hollers, reaching around to paw at the plastic bag in the back seat.

"Did you pay for this? No. So hands off, you freeloader," Gajeel spits out and slaps at Natsu's grabbing hands.

"C'mon man, don't be like that. I'm so _hungry_."

"Don't give a shit."

"Please, Levy?"

"Hah, you can't blackmail my girlfriend—SHRIMP DON'T GIVE HIM THAT. WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"Yosh! Thanks, Levy!"

"No problem, Natsu!"

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT? SHRIMP!"

Lucy groans for possibly the trillionth time and slaps the steering wheel, wincing at the pounding in her head. "Guys, let's play the quiet game. 1,2, go!"

But alas, the boys are too busy fighting over a bag of beef jerky and Levy had her nose buried in a book, completely oblivious to the woes of her best friend in the driver's seat.

It was going to be one fucking long drive. _That_ she could guarantee.

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _i can't feel my face when i'm with you  
but i love it_**


	4. give me forever for a while

So much to come for this. Too high-strung to let this go so prematurely. Updates will be very sporadic, but it's worth being on your follow list ;)

Lyrics are from **girls like u** by Blackbear. I reccomend all 5 tracks of his EP **drink bleach** for this chapter lol

* * *

 ** _/_**

 ** _swear to god i'm a sinner in a church  
burning up for you_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

They miraculously make it into Magnolia before the sun dipped into the horizon, which is a miracle in and of itself.

"Lushiii~," Natsu bemoans into her ear, clutching his stomach with a slightly green face, "I think I'm gonna chuck up."

"Do it out the window then, you moron! NO, NOT MINE! _YOURS_ ," she squeals and shoves his shoulder. Natsu's weakened body goes flying into his side of the truck, and the disgusting sounds of dry heaving follow shortly after.

"Did Flamebrain forget to tell you about his motion sickness?"

Lucy glares at Gajeel through the rear view mirror. "Wipe that smug look off your face, Gajeel, otherwise I _swear_ I will wrap this truck around a tree. Shall I keep going?"

"Tch, as if you would. We both know that you ain't got the balls for that—"

"Kiss bye-bye to Lily the Truck!"

"You do that and I will cut you off for a fucking month—"

"Oooh, look! A nice pine tree!"

"Bunny girl, you do that and we all die—"

"Then I guess I'll see all your asses in hell!"

"STOP FUCKING SWERVING, YOU BITCH—"

" _Luce_ , are you trying to _kill_ me?"

"I'm trying to kill all of us, if you hadn't noticed—"

"ENOUGH, _ALL_ OF YOU! I feel like your damn _mother_ half the time, I swear!"

Simultaneously, all three warring occupants of the car shut their mouths, casting silent glances to each other. In the heat of their debate, they hadn't noticed the scarlet slowly seeping onto Levy's cheeks or the rage causing her thin shoulders to tremble.

They are able to remain quiet for all of four seconds before the blessed silence is interrupted when Gajeel decides to open his big, fat mouth: "That was fucking hot, Shrimp. Could you do that again tonight, preferably when we're alone? I really get off on that, you know."

"You are _insufferable!_ "

Lucy is sure that the red and swollen handprint on Gajeel's cheek will not fade for weeks.

 ** _. . . . . ._**

"Home! Home! We're home! _Hoooommeee_ ~!"

"Is she always this moody? Because like, three seconds ago she was threatening to shove a stick up my ass if I didn't shut up."

Gajeel clamps a heavy hand on Natsu's shoulder. "It's all the fucking drugs she takes, man."

"Actual?"

"Pfft, _no_. She's just naturally one moody bitch. Get used to it."

"These chicks, man…they're gonna be the death of me, I swear. If they're not psycho they're fake as fuck. You can never win, y'know?"

"Believe me man, I get what you're saying. We gotta stick together—there's no telling what _they'll_ do when our backs are turned."

"Yeah man, for sure. Bros for life 'til hoes do us 'part."

The cousins and apparent brothers-in-arms were completely unaware to the rather annoyed blonde woman behind them with arms crossed and hip cocked. They were only given a moment's warning before their skulls were sent smashing together.

"Luce! What the _fuck!?_ "

"You tryna kill me, Bunny girl?!"

"I'm not _deaf_ , you bufoons. As punishment, you _both_ can go unpack the truck while Levy and I _relax_ like the Queens we are."

"The 'Queens' of fucking _what_ , Bunny girl?"

"Your arses!" the pixie-like woman provides with a cheeky grin, dodging Gajeel's grabbing hands with a squeal. He manages to snag her around the waist ("Right, that's enough from you. You're not gonna be able to talk for _days_ after I'm done with you.") and carts her back into their tiny bedroom for what Lucy can presume to be a few rather loud hours. Her head already aches just thinking about it— _great_.

After a few moments of stupefied silence, Lucy clears her throat. "Well, I guess that settles that."

"That bastard! He was meant to unpack the truck, not whatever the fuck _that_ is," Natsu gestures wildly at the closed door and Lucy has so swallow her chuckle.

"You're such a twelve year-old."

"And you're a weirdo, but you don't see me complaining."

Lucy fakes a shocked gasp before breaking into giggles. "You have me there. C'mon, I'll help you unload the truck and then we can get baked. You down?"

"Fuck, I love you," Natsu groans and follows her like a lost puppy through the door.

She stifles another fit of spontaneous laughter and focuses on palming all the bigger bags to Natsu to lug back inside.

Maybe, _just maybe_ , she can get used to having his whiney arse around.

 ** _. . . . . ._**

"Natsu. I swear to god, if you even _try_ to throw me in the pool I _will_ slap you."

"Then just get in!"

Lucy rolls her eyes but strips down to her bra and panties nonetheless. Natsu watches her with a devilish grin, probably waiting for the right moment to yank her in the pool like the asshole he is.

"Stop looking at me like that," she finally says, easing herself down onto the ground by the water's edge.

His grin widens. "Like what?"

"Like I'm some sort of midnight snack."

Natsu barks a laugh and extends his hand. "Here, let me give you a hand."

She eyes him wearily before entwining their fingers together. "Don't try anything stupid, or I'll shank you in the knee."

"What sort of threat was _that_?!"

"A good one."

Natsu stifles another chuckle and slowly pulls her into the chlorinated water, dark eyes watching her every miniscule move. And, for once she doesn't care. The bad girl blood in her tired veins sings at the thought of hypnotising Natsu with her winding curves and supple chest. His gaze follows her hand as she gently trails it down her side, over her thigh and past her knee to his chest where she plays with the scars riddling his skin.

She peeks at him under lowered lashes and smirks when she spies the distant, faraway look in his eyes.

 _Perfect._

Slowly, she leans in for a sinful kiss, hands trailing upwards to gently hold his neck. She can feel the devilish grin in the breath of air between their lips, and galaxies are _so damn close_ to exploding and erupting—

and with a victorious giggle, she plants her hands firmly against his chest and pushes with all her strength.

Natsu's wind-milling arms almost manage to snag her around the waist, but she steps away with a chiding click of her tongue that is sooner drowned by giggles. He crashes into the pool and resurfaces immediately, pink hair plastered to his tanned forehead.

"You're gonna get it, now!" he roars with another one of those devilish grins.

Lucy laughs and swims away to the other side of the pool, and they chase each other like children, much too innocent for the world outside the pool and the acid slowly clogging their veins.

The edges of her vision are slowly taking on a dream-like quality, and Natsu's eyes have begun to shine with distant planets and flames that lick her skin with each heated glance.

Somehow, they end up caught in each other's arms, drifting aimlessly and pondering over the laws of religion and fantasy.

"Do you think we're gonna go to heaven, or hell?"

Lucy hums in thought, tossing the notion in her mind. "I don't know about you, but I think there's a spot in heaven with my name on it."

"With all the drugs you do? I don't think so."

"Excuse _you_ , thank you very much. It is not a sin to enjoy one's life to its fullest."

"Yeah, but ain't it a sin to do drugs and alcohol?"

"It's also a sin for an unmarried woman to have sex. But then there's the Virgin Mary. So that whole debate is mute."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever makes you sleep better."

Lucy turns around to lightly smack his chest. "I'm serious about this. I don't even believe in God, but I know I'm going to heaven."

"How's that even work?"

She pauses for a moment, shifting to float on her back and turn her gaze to the starry sky. "Well, don't you ever feel like God? You know that feeing, when you're just swimming in space because you're that high and it's almost like you're some mythical being. _That_ is the only god I will ever believe in."

"That's some pretty deep shit."

"You asked first."

"Well, if you're a god, does that mean I have a chance at heaven?"

Lucy answers immediately, "Only if you fuck me."

There's silence—

and then the world is tilting and exploding because they are _consuming_ _each other_ , fingers caught in wet hair and messy moans. They keep sinking beneath the water over and over again, hips clashing and chests just barely breaking the surface before they are slipping down again to a silky Wonderland where there is no _world_ , only them.

Only pink hair and closed lids.

Only wandering hands and gasping lips.

Only soaring minds and stuttering hearts.

Only a forgotten boy, and a lost girl torn apart.

 **. . . . . .**

This time, they don't fuck on the bathroom sink.

"I feel like a young god sometimes," she admits to the pixie in the mirror, the one with the crazycrazy eyes and wicked grin.

" _Is that so_?" it hisses, and Lucy nods like a bobbing balloon in the breeze.

"It's almost like I'm sitting perched on top of the world, and it's all mine. The stars, the planets, the people, the skies. Everything."

"Luce?" a bang on the door. "Luce, you all good?"

The pixie disappears in a plume of purple and red glitter and Lucy doesn't like it, not one bit. Purple is the colour of her bedroom walls when she was small and scared, and red is the colour of the soft material in mummy's coffin. Purple and red when she felt so fucking blue.

 _But then there's pink._

"Natsu?" she calls, sniffling and stumbling to the door, "Natsu, I'm sorry I was a bitch. I really need you right now, please. The pixies are showing me things I don't want to remember. Take them away."

The door opens, and she tumbles into his awaiting arms like a falling star crashing back down to Earth. His hands cradle her weary head, his lips kissing away the tears on her soft cheeks and she feels like a young god all over again, sitting perched on top of the fucking world like some kind of martyr.

A bed presses against her back, all soft and warm.

"Just go to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up."

Lucy doesn't need to ask him to stay. Natsu is already crawling under the sheets and cocooning her in his arms. She imagines that when she wakes in the morning, she will spring forth like a butterfly and stop the world with her brilliant and blinding beauty. Stars will gather in her wings and the gods themselves will tumble from Olympus to squabble at her feet like sinners begging for forgiveness. Their whispered confessions will ignite the fire in her veins and she will unleash golden havoc upon the world.

 _Falling, stumbling, crashing, tumbling._

The room smells like him, and it forces her heavy eyelids to close—

"I hate it when you do this to yourself, Luce."

She can't open her eyes, but Natsu's face has already imprinted itself into the backs of her eyelids. She can see him now with his brow knitted, lips pursed, jaw quivering.

"It's okay to hurt. It's okay to show other people when you don't feel good. Friends are meant to be there for you through anything. Don't you trust anyone? Don't you trust me?"

There are fanged pixies digging their claws into her skin— _don't tell him don't tell him don't you love us we're your only friends don't tell him._

And she obeys.

"We'll talk in the morning, 'kay? I'm tired."

Natsu sighs a breath but nods his head against her shoulder, pink locks ghosting and dancing over her skin like her beloved dragon-pixies.

Her last thought isn't of how much she will regret staying with Natsu in the morning—

it is of how at home she feels in his arms.

 **. . . . . .**

Sunlight bathes the room in gold, but she feels like shit.

"Ow, fuck me. What the hell?"

Her mouth tastes like rat's arse, and her hair smells like chlorine and Natsu. Not a bad mix, but it is certainly not fucking pleasant first thing in the morning. Lucy kicks off the cigarette-burned comforter and stands on weak legs. Somehow, she is able to step over Natsu without crashing down and waking him up to a face-full of tits.

The bathroom reflects him just as much as his bedroom—bare, messy and littered with illicit substances. A bag of weed stashed in the medicine cabinet, a few pipes and a lone bong decorate the corner, and cigarette ash dots the sink. Lucy shakes her head and cranks the leaking shower until the water is able to melt her bones. She swishes cheap mouthwash as she strips and works on untangling her hair in the foggy mirror, before stepping into the shower with a minty sigh.

For a careless man-child, Natsu is well-stocked with shampoo and body wash. She scrubs at her skin with the loofah she found dangling by the shower head until it is red and raw and the scent of chlorine is gone. Her hair is a stringy and gross mess due to the chemical, but there isn't much she can do without conditioner other than suck it up.

She doesn't notice the bathroom door open.

She does hear the earth-shattering yawn.

"Mornin' Lushi."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET OUT, YOU PERV!"

Natsu shoots her a confused look. "I needa pee."

"OH, NO YOU DON'T. OUT OUT _OUT!_ "

"Pleeeeease?"

Lucy grabs the closest thing nearest to her—an old bar of soap—and throws it at his pink head. But his reflexes are fantastic, even when hungover and dazed from the drugs lingering in his system.

"That wasn't nice," he says simply, and places the slippery bar on the vanity. Turning his back to her, he relieves himself quickly and strips out of his boxers.

"What are you doing?"

"Shower," he mumbles, wriggling in behind her in the cramped space and cradling her to his chest.

She wants to fight him off and storm out, but her limbs are much too weary from their late night activities. In a rare sober moment of peace, she tilts her neck back and rests her head on the curve of his shoulder.

"Do you regret it?"

"Huh?" Natsu asks against her collarbone, where his lips rest upon the soft skin.

"That first night at that party. Do you regret what we did?"

She feels so vulnerable here, sober with his arms wrapped around her waist and steam dulling their senses. Maybe that's why the words tumble from her lips before she can stop them, before she can convince herself to walk away from all the possibilities between their lips.

"Not once. What kind of weird question is that?"

"Are you sure?"

Natsu finally pushes her gently against the shower wall, hands protecting her back from the cool tiles. His bright eyes watch her closely, as if it were second nature. "I'm sure," he says firmly, dragging his nose down the side of her neck.

Lucy shivers and bites her lip. "If you're looking for something real, you won't find it with me. My head's too fucked for that."

"And mine isn't?" he asks instead, nipping at the tops of her breasts. The shower water beats against the side of his face, where it drips from his chin to fall on her lower lip. "Luce, I'm not down on one knee, or some shit like that. I'm just asking for you to try and trust me."

"Okay."

"Oka—wait, what?"

"Okay," she repeats again, slower this time, voice steadier. God, is she willing to try with him. It's not like it was for forever, right?

But with his whoops and searing kisses, a small part of her doubts just that. That, somehow, _trying_ would turn into a _while_ , which would quickly become _forever_.

She better prepare her heart to break.

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 ** _swear to god she's a blessing and a curse  
should've learned from you_**


End file.
